Cotinus coggygria Magical Purple - Smoke Bush

Cotinus coggygria 'Magical Purple' is a compact and sturdy smoke tree that brings purplish-pink clouds to the garden against a backdrop of beautiful purple-violet foliage. Easy to grow in any well-drained soil and in full sun, this bush can be used as a specimen plant, in an informal hedge, or even in a large pot. Its summer flowering is as decorative as its autumn foliage.

Belonging to the Anacardiaceae family, the species Cotinus coggygria (synonym Rhus cotinus) is native to a wide area stretching from southern Europe to the Himalayas and northern China. It is often found there on rocky slopes and poor soils. 'Magical Purple' belongs to the Magical® series distributed by Kolster in the Netherlands; compared to the typical species and to 'Royal Purple', it branches better, has sturdier shoots, and a more compact growth. Its height reaches 2 m to 2.50 m with a similar spread; in a container, expect 1.50 m to 2 m. The young shoots are smooth and purplish, then the bark becomes brown-grey. The leaves, alternate, ovate to obovate, are coloured deep purple throughout the growing season. They turn red in autumn before falling. The flowering, in June-July, takes the form of large panicles; most of the tiny greenish-yellow flowers abort and produce feathery pedicels that are pink to purple; these are responsible for the "smoke" effect. The root system is rather shallow, which facilitates transplanting; suckers may appear if the plant is grown as a coppiced bush. Very hardy (down to at least -20°C), this cultivar mainly fears waterlogged soils; it can be susceptible to verticillium wilt in heavy ground.

Plant Cotinus 'Magical Purple' in full sun, in well-drained and rather poor soil to ensure its foliage is more colourful. In a "dry" border, pair it, for example, with Caryopteris, rockroses, and small-leaved sages in pink, red, and blue. To play with foliage colours, combine it with other compact Cotinus like golden 'Golden Spirit', the very changeable apple-green 'Young Lady', or the hybrid 'Grace', absolutely remarkable in autumn.